


Sweet Disposition

by tiffdawg



Category: Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29724084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiffdawg/pseuds/tiffdawg
Summary: Of all the people to walk into your classroom on parent-teacher conference night, you never expected to see the one and only Maxwell Lord.
Relationships: Maxwell Lord/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	Sweet Disposition

**Author's Note:**

> The second of my four giveaway requests over on tumblr! The request was for some super soft Maxwell Lord so I delivered as best as I could. Max just wants to be a good dad so it’s very soft, if I do say so myself. 💗
> 
> This can be read as a gender neutral reader!
> 
>  **Content Warnings:** none.

Of all the people to walk into your classroom on parent-teacher conference night, you never expected to see the one and only Maxwell Lord.

Especially considering he’d completely dropped out of the spotlight a few months ago. Now that you thought about it, Alistair Lord had joined your class midway through the school year around the same time. It would seem the Lord family left behind corporate skyscrapers, country clubs, and private schools altogether. 

You’d seen Maxwell Lord on television, in interviews and advertisements alike, dozens of times, but that couldn’t have prepared you for the real thing. While you’d hardly taken much notice of him in the past, he was quite… handsome. He seemed to have traded in the structured suits and bold patterns for something simpler. What his gray suit lacked in flair, it made up for in its sleek fit. And as the blond faded, it revealed dark locks that matched his eyes. Endless brown eyes that you’d been staring into without saying so much of a word for quite some time now. “Oh, um...” you mumbled dumbly before silently cursing yourself. “Good evening, Mr. Lord.”

“Max is fine these days. I promise you,” he said with a tight smile as he took your hand. The conference was off to an abysmal start, but you shook it off as you gestured to the chair across from your desk. You imagined he’d been in hundreds of meetings over the course of his career. Surely, he’d never remember one awkward encounter with his son’s third grade teacher. 

“Alistair is always excited to learn and excels in all subjects – especially science.” He looked visibly relieved at your report. You knew the face of an overly concerned parent well, so you continued, wanting to quell his worries. “He has a good group of friends in his class and stays out of trouble. He’s a happy, well-adjusted kid.”

“Good. That’s–” Max shook his head with a rueful smile. “I worry about him. I wasn’t there for him when he needed me. I’d never forgive myself if I kept him from his dreams.” 

“Can I show you something?” you asked after a moment of thought. At his nod you shuffled through your endless stacks of papers until you found a few slightly-crinkles pages of loose-leaf stapled together. You passed the report over to him and fought to suppress a smile at the crinkle of confusion between his brows.

“This was a writing assignment from a few weeks ago. I asked my students to write about the person they admired most.”

His expression shifted almost instantly as he read, but you couldn’t look away from his handsome face eleven as his wide, wondrous eyes pooled with tears in the corners. Max’s love for his son was so evident it made your chest tighten – something you decided it would be best to ignore. 

When he finished, he ran a hand over his face before meeting your gaze again. “Thank you.”

“You mean the world to him. Give yourself some credit, Max. You’re doing a great job and he’s going to be just fine.”

“Is that your professional opinion?” he asked with a hint of playfulness in his voice. 

“As a matter of fact, it is,” you answered, playing along. “He got an A on that, by the way.”

“Of course, he did,” Max beamed. “Thank you. For everything.”

The two of you shared a quiet moment that felt much too comfortable for strangers. Your heart practically sank when you caught sight of the parents waiting for your next meeting over his shoulder.

“You should hold onto that,” you said as you stood despite not wanting to say goodbye just yet.

“You know, he talks about you all the time. Now I can see why you are his favorite teacher.” Your cheeks warmed at the compliment. More than that, his appreciative glance doesn’t go unnoticed. “If you ever need anything, please ask. I’d love to… be more involved in my son’s life.”

You jumped at the opportunity – for Alistair’s sake, of course, not yours. “Well, now that you mention it, there are still a few open parent volunteer positions for the science fair next week.”

“I’ve heard all about the science fair. Alistair is really excited about it,” he affirmed with a smile. His next question, however, came with a bit of hesitation. “You will be there?”

“I will.”

“I’d love to help.”

“Wonderful.” If you sighed dreamily as he walked away, you only hoped your other student’s parents hadn’t noticed. 

… . …

A few months later, the school year was finally coming to a close. You waved goodbye to your students as they excitedly ran off to their buses and carpools, all happy to be free for the summer. When you caught sight of Alistair Lord practically jumping into his father’s arms, your smile faltered. 

Max had become a regular presence at the school and in your classroom. He never missed an opportunity to volunteer at school functions or help during holiday parties and you happily called him your friend. As expected, your schoolgirl crush spiraled wildly out of control. You’d fallen head over heels in love with Max and now you had to say goodbye to both him and Alistair. As the father-son pair approached you, both wearing bright, matching smiles, you pushed down that bittersweet feeling threatening to suffocate you.

“We wanted to say thank you,” Max said as he offered you a stunning bouquet of pink roses and lilacs he had hidden behind him. Your jaw dropped as you gingerly took the sweet-smelling flowers from him, careful not to harm a single petal. 

“Yeah!” Alistair exclaimed with a toothy grin. “You’re the best teacher ever.”

“That’s very kind of you to say,” you replied, still a bit awestruck at their appreciative gesture. “I’m really going to miss you both next year.”

A silent conversation passed before you as the two exchanged a look. Whatever debate took place, Alistair seemed to win. 

“Maybe not,” Max started softly as he took a step closer to you, “maybe… maybe we could go to dinner sometime. I– I can’t offer you much but–” 

“I’d love to,” you responded enthusiastically. You slipped your hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “And for the record, I just need you.”

“Then it’s a date.” He smiled as he placed a chaste kiss on your cheek.

“It’s about time, dad,” Alistair teased. His father only ruffled his hair fondly before throwing a shy smile your way.

As you buried your smile behind your flowers, you couldn’t help but wholeheartedly agree.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> ... . ...
> 
> P.S. For those interested, pink roses symbolize admiration and friendship and purple lilacs represent the beginning of love!


End file.
